Disgusted
I wish I was posting some awesome photos from our wedding or more great shots from our honeymoon with this post, but I’m not. Instead, I have to post this disgusting letter sent from SC Senator Jim DeMint to religious leaders throughout the state. Here it is:
Subject: Hate Crime Legislation Must Be Stopped!
Dear Pastors and Religious Leaders:
The long debate over the “separation of church and state” has convinced many religious leaders that their opinions are not welcome in political debates. Many pastors hesitate to explain that government policies have helped cause the decline of America’s culture, morality and spirituality. Many people of faith have given up their freedom of speech and the freedom to practice their religious principles in all areas of their lives.
I am writing to you today to remind you that religious principles and biblical teachers produced the values and policies that made America exceptional, prosperous, and good.
In recent decades, Congress and the courts have adopted policies that have proved destructive to faith, families, and freedom in America, but no one action has been as damaging as the “hate crime” legislation will be. This hate crime legislation will replace “equal justice under law” with arbitrary justice based on the race, religion, or sexual orientation of criminals and their victims. More importantly, it will lead to the criminalization of biblical truth as “hate speech.”
Under this legislation, a pastor who teaches that homosexuality is wrong could be accused of a hate crime or charged with “inducing” a violent crime against a gay person.
Please tell your congregation this legislation is not about “hate” (all violent crimes are hateful); it is about taking away your freedom to speak and preach biblical truth. It will take away your right to say that some things are wrong. We need millions of Americans to call and email their Senators, especially Democrat Senators who are pushing this legislation. Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised to pass this legislation in the next few weeks (the House already has).
To learn more about the “hate crimes” legislation, refer to Family Research Council’s reference page on the topic, www.frc.org. And to find out the email addresses and phone numbers of your Senators, link to www.senate.gov, or call the Capitol operator at 202-224-3121. Please act this week.
Sincerely,
Jim DeMint
U.S. Senator
I am so appalled and angered by this letter that I can barely see straight. This man is lying. Plain out lying to people. And in doing so, he’s destroying the memory of so many gay kids who were beaten to death because of their sexual orientation.
Here are some excerpts from an email written by SC Equality Board President, Dr. Ed Madden, and sent out to the SC Equality mailing list. It explains exactly what DeMint is lying about and why his words are so damn offensive.
DeMint says the law will “criminalize biblical truth as ‘hate speech,’” that pastors will be prosecuted for hate speech, and that the law takes away freedom of speech. He says the law will “take away your right to say some things are wrong.” THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. NO PASTOR WILL BE ARRESTED FOR TEACHING THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS WRONG. The law includes language that explicitly prevents this, guaranteeing that it cannot be used to inhibit freedom of speech. DeMint’s claims are wrong, and only perpetuate lies currently used by the anti-gay right.
DeMint further assumes religious leaders condemn homosexuality and oppose hate crimes legislation. THIS IS NOT TRUE. We know that many faith leaders support gay and lesbian civil rights and support hate crimes legislation.
DeMint claims that homophobic “religious principles and biblical teaching” are responsible for America’s goodness and prosperity. He implies that legislation protecting gay and lesbian people and our families will contribute to the decline of our country. THIS IS OFFENSIVE. We know that America’s success is based on beliefs in freedom, democracy, separation of church and state, and fundamental human rights, not on religious teachings or the suppression of gay and lesbian people.
At the end, DeMint cites the Family Research Council as an important source of information on hate crimes. THIS IS MISLEADING. The Family Research Council is a prominent anti-gay organization that supports “the traditional family unit” and most recently opposed President Obama’s extension of federal benefits to same-sex couples. Indeed, the FRC is one of the organizations sponsoring a “Values Voter Summit” in Washington in September that will focus on “protecting marriage” and will include such speakers as Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Laura Ingraham. For a useful resource on hate crimes legislation and what it will and will not do, please visitMatthewShepard.org.
I’m tired of this kind of bullshit in this state and in this country. Why can’t we, for once, protect gays and lesbians? Through DOMA and DADT, we’ve taken all their rights away. Can’t we at least protect them from hate crimes?
-Jess
